Harrison favourite for glory

AUDLEY HARRISON will start as clear favourite when he makes the first defence of his WBF heavyweight crown at the Whitchurch Sports Centre in Bristol on tomorrow night despite giving away vast championship and international experience.

AUDLEY HARRISON will start as clear favourite when he makes the first defence of his WBF heavyweight crown at the Whitchurch Sports Centre in Bristol on tomorrow night despite giving away vast championship and international experience.

Former British and Commonwealth heavy-weight champion Julius Francis looks set to give the 2000 Sydney Olympic super-heavyweight champion arguably his sternest test.

However, the 39 year-old campaigner has lost his last six fights, admit-tedly in good company, but the way he barely threw a punch in surviving 10 dull rounds against a crude and very ordinary Matt Skelton suggests his ambition and desire as well as his skills has dramatically diminished.

Francis, 23-16-1-(12), will argue to the contrary or course and reason that facing Harrison is all the motivation he needs to get himself up for the fight. But experience tells you that is unlikely to happen.

Francis only took the fight officially just over a week ago, following the withdrawal of Nicolay Popov.